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Ramban on Deuteronomy 16:20/רמב"ן על דברים ט״ז:כ׳

אצֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף, הַלֵּךְ אַחַר ב"ד יָפֶה. לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, כְּדַאי הוּא מִנּוּי הַדַּיָּנִין הַכְּשֵׁרִים לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּלְהוֹשִׁיבָן עַל אַדְמָתָם, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על דברים ט"ז:כ') מִסִּפְרֵי (שופטים קמד). וְטַעַם הַכֶּפֶל לוֹמַר הַדַּיָּנִין צְרִיכִין שֶׁיִּשְׁפְּטוּ אֶת הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק, וְגַם אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִרְדֹּף הַצֶּדֶק תָּמִיד, שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ מִמְּקוֹמְךָ אֶל מְקוֹם חֲכָמִים הַגְּדוֹלִים, אַחֲרֵי רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי לְיַבְנֶה, אַחַר רַבִּי לְבֵית שְׁעָרִים. ור"א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על דברים ט"ז:כ') צֶדֶק צֶדֶק פַּעֲמַיִם, שֶׁיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי הַצֶּדֶק שֶׁיַּרְוִיחַ בּוֹ אוֹ יַפְסִיד, אוֹ פַּעַם אַחַר פַּעַם לְחִזּוּק. אֲבָל בְּמִדְרָשׁוֹ שֶׁל ר' נְחוּנְיָא בֶּן הַקָּנָה יִדְרְשׁוּ בּוֹ סוֹד, אָמְרוּ צֶדֶק זוֹ מִדַּת דִּינוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תִּרְדֹּף, וּכְתִיב בָּתְרֵהּ לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, אִם תָּדִין עַצְמְךָ תִּחְיֶה, אִם לָאו הוּא יָדִין עָלֶיךָ וּתְקַיֵּם בְּעַל כָּרְחֲךָ. וּמַאי צֶדֶק צֶדֶק תְּרֵי זִמְנֵי, דִּכְתִיב (שמואל ב כב יג) מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ צֶדֶק רִאשׁוֹן צֶדֶק מַמָּשׁ, זוֹ שְׁכִינָה, דִּכְתִיב (ישעיהו א כא) צֶדֶק יָלִין בָּהּ, וּמַאי צֶדֶק שֵׁנִי, שֶׁמַּפְחִיד אֶת הַצַּדִּיקִים. וּמְפָרֵשׁ שָׁם צֶדֶק הָוֵי כּוֹבַע יְשׁוּעָה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ, וְאֵין רֹאשׁ אֶלָּא אֱמֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט קס) רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת, וְאֵין אֱמֶת אֶלָּא שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב כ יט) הֲלֹא אִם שָׁלוֹם וֶאֱמֶת יִהְיֶה בְיָמָי וְגוֹ'. אִם כֵּן יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב תִּשְׁפֹּט אַתָּה בְּבֵית דִּינְךָ וְתִרְדֹּף צֶדֶק צֶדֶק וְתַשִּׂיג אוֹתָם, לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא בַּצֶּדֶק הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁהוּא צֶדֶק עֶלְיוֹן, וְהוּא הָאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל הַצָּפוּן לַצַּדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, וְהוּא עֻזּוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה. וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ, בַּצֶּדֶק הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁהוּא אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

1JUSTICE, JUSTICE SHALT THOU PURSUE. “Go to seek a reliable court. THAT THOU MAYEST LIVE, AND INHERIT THE LAND. The appointment of qualified judges is of sufficient [importance] to sustain Israel and to settle them upon their Land.” This is Rashi’s language quoting from the Sifre.¹⁷ 144. The reason for the repetition [of the word “justice”] is to indicate that the judges should judge the people with righteous judgment,¹⁸ and you must also pursue justice constantly by going from your place to the place of the great Sages: “after Rabban¹⁹ Yochanan ben Zaccai to Jabneh; after Rabbi [Yehudah Hanasi] to Beth Shearim.”²⁰And Rabbi Abraham [ibn Ezra] commented: “Justice, justice. It is mentioned twice in order to indicate that one should pursue justice whether it would be to his advantage or loss. Or [it may be mentioned] one time after another for emphasis.” But in the Midrash of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah²¹ the Rabbis interpreted it by way of a secret. They said: “Justice — this is His attribute of justice in the world, as it is said, Justice, justice shalt thou pursue. After that it is written, that thou mayest live, and inherit the Land. If you will judge yourself [knowing whence you came, and whither you are going, and before Whom you are about to give account and reckoning]²² you will live. If not, He will judge you and affirm [His judgment over you] against your will. And why is justice mentioned twice? Because it is written, from the brightness before Him.²³. The two terms brightness and fire thus refer to these two aspects of justice (Abusaula). The first justice refers to actual justice, this being the Divine Glory, as it is written, righteousness lodges in her.²⁴ And what is the second justice? It is that which frightens the righteous” [making them fearful that perhaps they do not merit the World to Come].²⁵ And there [in that Midrash] it is further explained:²⁶ “Justice is the helmet of salvation upon His head.²⁷ The ‘head’ denotes only truth, as it is said, The beginning of Thy word is truth,²⁸ and ‘truth’ is peace, as it is said, Is it not so, if peace and truth shall be in my days?²⁹ etc.” If so, Scripture is stating here, “You are to judge in your court [to attain] justice, and pursue therein justice and [try to] achieve it, that thou mayest live in the World to Come with the second justice [which alludes to Him]³⁰ Who is the Higher Justice, this being the great light hidden for the righteous for the Time to Come, and this is also the Might of the Holy One, blessed be He; and thou shalt inherit the Land, the Land of Israel, with the first justice.”